Cocaine Effects

Cocaine abuse leads to strokes, transient ischemic attacks (TIAs- mini strokes), seizures, malignant hyperthermia (elevated body temperature with severe muscle contractions), and damage to the blood-brain barrier exposing the brain to bacterial, fungal, or viral contaminants which could lead to

Cocaine’s primary effect on the brain is to produce “psychoactive and addictive effects primarily by acting on the brain’s limbic system, a set of interconnected regions that regulate pleasure and motivation. Initial, short- term effect- a buildup of the neurochemical, dopamine which gives rise to euphoria and a desire to take the drug again”(Nestler, 2005, p.4). This is normally seen in some individuals that draw in the drug like through inhaling. It gives them an instant increase in blood, and brain levels. It causes the individual to become addicted to this substance. Cocaine is thought to produce pleasure/reward like any addicted drug

1.) A.) Name and discuss several the major theories of the origin of religion. There are several theories of the origin of religion. The first theory of the origin of religion is the animistic theory, Theorized by Herbert Spencer. The Animistic theory theorizes that the gods of the primitive people were founded on dreams of the recently deceased. The theory basically means that the primitive people believed that there dreams where visions of another world; and they believed that their leaders and hero’s went their after death. While this Theory has a ring of truth to it, the jump to believing there another world because of a dream seems drastic. This theory was later expanded. Another theory of the origin of religion is the nature

It is composed of many functional groups, which explain for the different types of functions. Cocaine has an educational background both in science and in history. It has been used recreationally throughout history and made its way to the European continent and other areas after the European colonized in South America. The native people of South America used to chew on coca leaves to extract the compound and use it as a source for energy and power to complete daily tasks. There is also evidence of the natives using this coca leave for medicine. The medicine component behind cocaine dates back to centuries ago. The skeletal remains show that some people used to chew on it as they were going through a medical procedure. These people had residue left in their cheekbones, and there was a hole in their skull. This signified that the people went through a medical procedure to get treatment for brain illnesses. The ones without these holes show that it was being used recreationally. It has a rich, detailed scientific background as many people sought to uncover the pure substance. Uncovering the pure substance only lead to further advancement in medicine; Cocaine was being used as a local anesthetic. People further went on to create derivatives of cocaine, which are the more popular anesthetics used in medicine right now. Some of these anesthetics include Benzocaine and Lidocaine. These anesthetics are typically used to treat ulcers. Cocaine, today, seems to be more of a social issue due to numerous people abusing the drug and getting addicted. It is evident that there are beneficial and detrimental uses of the drug. Cocaine can cause harm when it is abused or used in the wrong way. It can lead to serious complications and consequences. However, Cocaine also has great application in the medical field. It can be used as a good way and lead to many

One of the most detrimental and addictive narcotics in the world today is cocaine. Cocaine dates back as early as 3000 BC. Ancient Incas used the coca leaves to counter the effects of living in thin mountain air. Native Peruvians in the 1500’s chewed the plant strictly for religious ceremonies. Andean Indians are believed to chew the leaves of the coca plant to increase their energy for work while decreasing their hunger and pain. It wasn’t until 1859 when a German chemist Albert Niemann successfully extracted the narcotic from the coca leaf. In the 1880’s, it was freely prescribed by physicians for “maladies as exhaustion, depression, and morphine addiction and was available in many patent medicines” (“Cocaine”), until users and doctors began to realize its dangers and side effects. While it was not fully understood at the time, cocaine has many devastating and lasting effects on the user.

As a coach, I had a player, who was very polite and worked hard in practice. She was very timid around other teammates. She would stop in to talk to me and never had friends that I could see her relate to. Trying to fit in desperately, she was happy to be included in the “social” activities in college. She got pregnant and her boy friend and her were arrested for conspiracy to deliver cocaine and both sentenced to prison. This course states cocaine can cause an initial rush of pleasure that makes you alert, talkative and confident. With prolonged exposure to meth and cocaine, it can destroy up to 50% of dopamine – producing neurons in certain parts of the brain. This can lead to irreversible symptons of Parkinson’s disease. (Cocaine handout) After several letters from her in prison, she thanked me for being a good listener. I know her family closed their eyes thinking it’s not an addiction, but a social activity that they can quit at any time. This course explains how a higher level of dopamine on a regular basis is needed just to keep you feeling normal. Cocaine can make people feel paranoid, angry and hostile even when they are not high. Prolonged use causes sleep deprivation and loss of appetite. A person can become psychotic and experience hallucinations. It increases the risk that the user will experience a heart attack, stroke, or respiratory failure which can result in sudden death. (Foundation for a Drug-Free

There are two common effects that are used today. Those two effects are short-term effect and long-term effect. Some short-term effects are dilated pupils, nausea, hyper stimulation, and depression. Other short-term effects are panic and psychosis, increased rate of breathing, and contracted blood vessels. Long-term effects are permanent damage to blood vessels of the heart and the brain, liver, kidney, and lung damage. Other long-term effects are weight loss, tooth decay, sexual problems, reproductive damage (men and women), and infertility. The most disastrous victims of cocaine are babies. Babies that are born to mothers who use the drug throughout their pregnancy can have effects as well. Some babies that are not addicted suffer from

Cocaine, a narcotic drug that took the entire world by storm in the 1980’s, has continued to find it’s way into countries all over the world. The drug is a highly addictive stimulant that is extracted from the leaves of the Erythroxylon coca bush, which is indigenous to the Andean highlands of South America. It comes in two main forms, powder and crystalline, also known as “crack” (“Cocaine Use and Its Effects”). Although the short term effects of cocaine seem somewhat harmless, the long term effects are devastating and have ruined the lives of many users. The short and long term effects of cocaine can be seen on Ishmael Beah, and his companions in the novel A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah.

However, everything comes at a price, the short-term health effects are: constricted blood vessels, dilated pupils, nausea, raised temperature and blood pressure, faster heartbeat, tremors and muscle twitches, and restlessness. The long-term effects of cocaine depend on how it is taken. If it is snorted effects include: loss of sense of smell, nosebleeds, frequent runny nose, and problems with swallowing. Ingesting orally leads to severe bowel decay from reduced blood flow. If it is injected, the effects include higher risk of contracting HIV, hepatitis C, and other bloodborne diseases. However, those who use non-needle forms of cocaine are still at risk for STDs because cocaine affects one’s judgement so one may lead to unsafe sexual behavior. Long term effects shared by all forms of cocaine include: being malnourished due to cocaine’s appetite suppressing properties, movement disorders such as Parkinson’s, irritability, restlessness, and severe paranoia which can lead to the loss of touch with reality and cause auditory hallucinations. Along with all the previously mentioned effects, if someone becomes dependent on cocaine, withdrawal symptoms include: depression, fatigue, increased appetite, nightmares, insomnia, and slowed cognitive function. I personally know someone who has tried cocaine and here’s what they said on the matter:

Cocaine induces issues in the central nervous system that can quickly transform into a life threatening addiction. Cocaine is a highly addictive, dangerous, and illegal stimulant drug. Once cocaine penetrates the blood brain barrier, it clogs up dopamine receptors. Consequently, dopamine will bond and overstimulate the receptors of nearby cells. Cocaine affects many parts of the brain such as the hippocampus, amygdala, the frontal lobe, the nucleus accumbens, and the ventral tegmental area. As a result, the user remembers the pleasures brought by cocaine. Affected nucleus accumbens cause the user to want to repeat that sensation again. Additionally, one of the frontal lobe’s purpose is to rejects activities that have too many negative consequences,

For hundreds of years the United States has been attracting immigrants from a variety of different countries, races, and religions to come live in a land full of freedom and opportunity. These people were looking for more than just rights and privileges. Their real desire was to become something that represents pride and honor, an American. Being an American means much more than living in the United States. Along with the name come a number of different benefits such as, freedom of speech to express your own opinion, freedom of religion, and equality for all, including different sexes, races, religions and status.

Physical effects are many. There are constricted blood vessels, increased temperature, increased heart rate, and an increased blood flow. Cocaine is a drug that hurts the body instantly after intake. It messes up almost every internal organ, and just slowly corrodes it. There’s also a form of enhanced senses. There are things such as greater alertness, more energy, and increased self-confidence. There’s also a sense of increased power in one’s body. Cocaine produces its high affect by activating the nerve cells in the brain that releases dopamine. The dopamine lasts for a while until the user becomes aware of the high. Dopamine causes a chemical that can be traced to that of pleasure and mental alertness. What happens with the dopamine is that parts of the brain receives bits of it and stores it in the brain in this reservoir type of thing. This is why it’s pretty dangerous to take a heavy dose of cocaine. The effects of cocaine may go away temporarily, but due to that reservoir the affects can come and go at any moment, which can cause some mental deterioration. Obviously, the bigger the dose, the longer the effects of the dopamine. The end result is that after intake, the body of the user starts getting

Violence is another major effect of cocaine. Cocaine is an illegal drug that is sold for the hopes of yielding high profits returns. Most low-level cocaine dealers sell the drug in their community and city. Most places were drugs are sold are in the poorest areas in an inner city, there is not enough territory for everyone to sell drugs. In return this causes people to murder one another for control of territory. For example, a person receives a shipment of drug they are required to sale and they kill the people in that specific area to have more people to sell drugs to. Crime in these areas are at an all-time high as well. Many chronic abusers of cocaine are homeless or not employed. In a poll with 297 participants, 84 percent stated they hand some involvement with drug related violence (Heraclito). With money and resources to obtain drugs being very low. Many resort armed robbery, purse snatching, home

Cocaine can be identified as a white powder which can then be snorted up a person’s nose, an alternative method to taking is to inject directly into the blood stream. Crack Cocaine comes about by chemically altering the Cocaine powder to form hard crystals, which can be known as ‘rocks’.

Throughout history women have viewed as people who needed to fit the role that a man predestined upon them. From cultural expectations to media, women are portrayed by the need to express who they are. Women are getting affected mentally and physically due to stereotypes because women are being portrayed as the weaker link in society.